Foreign Aid Has Contributed to the Dis-functionality of African Countries

By Ogbeide Ifaluyi-isibor

I hold the view and very strongly too that foreign aid has contributed to the disfunctionality of African governments as it allows the African governments to abdicate their responsibilities of providing for the welfare of their people. I also think foreign aid has helped in the ease of/for the perpetuation of corruption by African governments as a great percentage of these largesse are diverted and never gets to be used for what it was given for.

While emergency and humanitarian aid is of necessity when the arises,aids from NGOs, the IMF and World Bank over the last few decades has not helped in birthing Economic growth or the reduction of poverty on the continent. While some may disagree with me, it is incumbent on us therefore to look at the available statistics.

I also hold the view and very strongly too that African countries are not independent but rather are decolonized being that we still depend largely on the financial system of the colonialist and the aids from them thereof . Infrastructure, health care, education and the likes are still being funded by the West, Europe and more recently Asia in many African countries.We had to rely on the Chinese to build the headquarters of the OAU in Ethiopia. How independent can we be when the valueof our currencies are determined by the dollar.how can we be independent when we borrow from the west and Europe to fund our budgets.how can we be independent when donor agencies still give us mosquito nets and build toilets in virtually all countries of Africa. How can we be independent when our minds haven't been liberated.

In Zambia,with a population of about 12 million people where 1 in every 4 are HIV positive ,95% of the health infrastructure is built by the  USAID. This is the reason why at G8 summits, World Economic summits and the likes,nobody really listens to African leaders because all we do is beg for aid-->We are always calling on the international community for help. Who listens to a beggar afterall!

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is quoted to have said that any country who relies on aid has not had a Genocide. While that could be a debatable quote, there is a sense in which one cannot agree with him less. Rwanda today is doing greatly after just 2 decades after the famous Genocide that enveloped the east African nation but see what they've done today and see how far they've gone having a President that is averse to foreign aid. A few years ago,Rwanda was ranked amongst the best African countries to do business by the world bank.This goes to show that Rwanda has been making decisive efforts at doing something right. I have visited Kigali once in the last 5years and can agree that that's about the cleanest African city and I fear not to say, one of the cleanest in the world. How did President Kagame get Rwanda there!

I strongly suggest that the tax regime of African countries be given more focus as African governments wake up to their responsibilities. If foreign aids didn't reduce poverty in Nigeria since her independence,foreign aid won't help Nigeria in the next 50 years.

While I will want my friends to drop their thoughts on this subject as discussed in this short article, i will also strongly recommend that they read Dr Dambisa Moyo's book --->Dead aid.

Thank you!.

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About King Angela Uyi

I am Angela Uyi aka Mama Naija|Two time Social Media Personality Winner| A smooth talker| Humanitaria| Ghost Writer| CopyWriter |Twitter:@Angelauyi |